State Supreme Court Dismisses ACLU Voting Suit

The State has dismissed a lawsuit filed on behalf of the American Civil Liberties Union arguing voters affected by Tropical Storm Iselle should have had an opportunity to vote in the August primary election.

According to a press release issued Thursday, the ACLU argued, among other things, that the actions of the State and Hawai’i County following the storm infringed upon the people’s right to vote.

The ACLU asked the Hawai’i Supreme Court to re-open the primary election to people who claimed to have been unable to vote.

According to the release, the Court concluded that it does not have the power or authority to grant the relief the ACLU sought and dismissed the complaint.

Kit Grant, ACLU of Hawai’i press secretary, issued the following statement in response to the decision:

“While our clients are disappointed that they will not be able to cast ballots in the primary election, the ACLU will continue its work to ensure that every person has an equal opportunity to vote – even when a natural disaster strikes – and we look forward to working with the Legislature to prevent these kinds of situations in the future.”